The present invention relates to a medication filling apparatus for filling a container with medications (hereinafter referred to all solidified medications, such as tablets, capsules, pills, and lozenges) specified by prescriptions at hospitals or the like.
Hitherto, at a hospital, a plurality of types of medications prescribed by doctors are separately packaged for each dosage by using a tablet packaging machine disclosed in, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 3-59 (A61J3/00), then supplied to patients. However, such a separately packaging system is adapted to dispense tablets for each dosage and collect them by a hopper or a conveyor or the like before packaging them, thus requiring a long time to complete the packaging, including the time for waiting the tablets to be collected. Furthermore, the tablets are collected by such a hopper or a conveyor or the like, solely depending on the gravity, so that the entire apparatus has inevitably been bulky.
This is also a medication filling apparatus adapted to charge each type of prescribed tablets in a container, such as a bottle (or a bag) to supply them to patients. In the case of such a tablet filling apparatus, a construction has conventionally been employed in which a plurality of tablet cases accommodating respective types of tablets are arranged like lockers so that they are tilted low forward, and each tablet case is provided with a dispensing mechanism for dispensing the tablets from the tablet case to thereby dispense the tablets in a tablet case designated according to a prescription by the dispensing mechanism.
In such a tablet filling apparatus, since tablets are not separately packaged for each dosage, the tablets can be charged more quickly than in the tablet packaging machine described above. However, an operator must hold a container and go to the front of a proper tablet case to fill a container with tablets from the dispensing mechanism. Hence, if there are many types of tablets, in particular, it has been extremely complicated and time-consuming to fill different types of containers.
Furthermore, since the plurality of tablet cases are arranged like lockers against a wall surface, it has been impossible to achieve a reduction in size of an entire apparatus that has been required of a conventional tablet packaging machine.
Therefore, the applicant has developed a structure in which a rotary plate is provided under a plurality of tablet cases arranged side by side, a plurality of accommodating portions are formed in the rotary plate, a tablet dispensed from a tablet case is received and held in a predetermined accommodating portion associated with the tablet case and located below the tablet case by the rotation of the rotary plate, and then the tablet is charged in a container from an outlet, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-192367.
According to the construction, tablets can be charged at one location, and the vertical dimension of an entire apparatus can be reduced, as compared with a conventional conveyor type or a locker type apparatus; however, tablets are prone to jump into another accommodating portion through a clearance (gap) formed around the periphery of the rotary plate when the rotary plate rotates, leading to a possibility of mixture of different types of medications.
In addition, the clearance between the rotary plate and its peripheral member must be closely specified in designing and manufacture to prevent the above, posing a problem in that the productivity is deteriorated and the cost is increased.
The present invention has been made with a view toward solving the conventional technological problems, and it is an object thereof to improve the ease of installation and maintenance and to permit a safe and reliable filling operation, while maintaining a small size in a medication filling apparatus for filling a predetermined container with medications, such as tablets.
The present invention is characterized in that, in a medication filling apparatus equipped with a plurality of tablet cases for accommodating medications of respective types, a plurality of hoppers provided side by side below the respective tablet cases in a corresponding manner to receive the medications dispensed therefrom, and charging means for guiding the medications dispensed from an outlet formed at the bottommost portion of each hopper to a predetermined container and for charging them, a retaining member for hanging each hopper is provided, each hopper being detachably installed to the retaining member.
According to the present invention, medications are dispensed from the tablet cases accommodating the medications of respective types, and the medications dispensed from the tablets cases are received by the plurality of hoppers arranged thereunder side by side. Hence, the vertical dimension of the apparatus can be reduced while maintaining the tilt angles of the hoppers that allow the medications to fall.
In particular, since the hoppers are detachably installed to the retaining members, the ease of the installation and the ease of the maintenance, such as cleaning, of the hoppers to which chips or dust of medications are prone to stick can be significantly improved, thus making it possible to effectively prevent an inconvenience in that the dust or chips of other medications are mixed in.
In addition to the above, the present invention is characterized by the provision of hopper detecting means for detecting that the hoppers have been installed to the retaining members. With this arrangement, when the hoppers are removed for maintenance or the like, whether the hoppers have been reinstalled or not can be detected by the hopper detecting means. Thus, if there is a possibility of erroneous charging with the hoppers removed, then the operation of the apparatus, for example, can be inhibited or an alarm can be issued to thereby avoid such an inconvenience.
In addition, the present invention is characterized by the provision of a height adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of the outlet of each hopper. With this arrangement, the clearance between the outlet of each hopper and the charging means can be adjusted to an optimum value, permitting prevention of an inconvenience in which the medications discharged from outlets jump out of the charging means. Moreover, if, for example, the charging means is constructed of a movable member, then it is also possible to avoid an inconvenience in which the hoppers interfere with the operation of the charging means.
Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in a medication filling apparatus equipped with a plurality of tablet cases for accommodating medications of respective types, a plurality of hoppers provided side by side below the respective tablet cases in a corresponding manner to receive the medications dispensed therefrom, and charging means for guiding the medications dispensed from an outlet formed at the bottommost portion of each hopper to a predetermined container and for charging them, each hopper is provided with a vertical wall installed in a standing manner to partition the interior thereof.
According to the present invention, medications are dispensed from the tablet cases accommodating the medications of respective types, and the medications dispensed from the tablets cases are received by the plurality of hoppers arranged thereunder side by side. Hence, the vertical dimension of the apparatus can be reduced while maintaining the tilt angles of the hoppers that allow the medications to fall.
In particular, since each hopper is provided with the vertical wall for partitioning the interior thereof that is installed in a standing manner, it is possible to quickly end an inconvenience in which the medications that have fallen into the hoppers jump around in the hoppers. This allows the medications that have fallen into the hoppers to be quickly retained and stored onto the bottoms in the hoppers, permitting a reduction in the time required for charging medications.
Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in a medication filling apparatus equipped with a plurality of tablet cases for accommodating medications of respective types, a plurality of hoppers provided side by side below the respective tablet cases in a corresponding manner to receive the medications dispensed therefrom, and charging means for guiding the medications dispensed from an outlet formed at the bottommost portion of each hopper to a predetermined container and for charging them, each hopper is provided with an anti-spilling wall that extends outward from the outlet and is installed over the full periphery of the outlet.
According to the present invention, medications are dispensed by a controller from the tablet cases accommodating the medications of respective types, and the medications dispensed from the tablets cases are received by the plurality of hoppers arranged thereunder side by side. Hence, the vertical dimension of the apparatus can be reduced while maintaining the tilt angles of the hoppers that allow the medications to fall.
In particular, since each hopper is provided with the anti-spilling wall extends outward from the outlet and is installed over the full periphery of the outlet, even if a medication that has been dispensed from the outlet of each hopper and entered the charging means bounces and attempts to jump out through the clearance between the outlet of the hopper and the charging means, the medication can be bounced back toward the charging means by the anti-spilllng wall. This makes it possible to securely prevent such an inconvenience in which medications that have come out from the outlets jump out of the charging means.
Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in a medication filling apparatus equipped with a plurality of tablet cases for accommodating medications of respective types, a plurality of hoppers provided side by side below the respective tablet cases in a corresponding manner to receive the medications dispensed therefrom, outlets respectively formed at the bottommost portions of the hoppers, a plurality of holding cells that are disposed below the hoppers and are rotationally moved on the circumferences where the outlets of the hoppers exist, shutters for opening and closing the lower end outlets of the holding cells, and charging means for guiding the medications dispensed from the holding cells to a predetermined container and for charging them, wherein, when a medication is dispensed from a tablet case, a holding cell is rotationally moved to adjust its position thereby to align the upper end inlet of the holding cell to the outlet of the hopper that receives the dispensed medication so as to accommodate the medication falling from the tablet case in a predetermined holding cell, and when filling a container, the holding cell is rotationally moved to align its outlet to the charging means before a shutter is opened; the holding cell is constructed by a fixed cell and a movable cell installed such that it can move in a direction for opening the outlet in relation to the fixed cell, and the movable cell is moved in a direction for opening the outlet by movable cell driving means to open the shutter.
According to the present invention, medications are dispensed from the tablet cases accommodating the medications of respective types, and the medications dispensed from the tablets cases are received by the plurality of hoppers arranged thereunder side by side. Hence, the vertical dimension of the apparatus can be reduced while maintaining the tilt angles of the hoppers that allow the medications to fall. Moreover, since the holding cell is rotationally moved to adjust its position thereby to align the upper end inlet of the holding cell to the outlet of the hopper that receives the dispensed medication, the medication fallen from a tablet case is temporarily accommodated in a predetermined holding cell. Then, to charge the medication in a container, the holding cell is rotationally moved to align its outlet to the charging means, and the shutter is opened. Hence, the medication in the holding cell is charged in the container by being guided to the container by the charging means from a lower end outlet.
Accordingly, it is possible to charge the medications specified among a plurality of types in respective containers by the charging means at a single location, leading to markedly improved workability. Furthermore, the operation has been realized in which the holding cells are rotationally moved to match their upper end inlets to the outlets of the hoppers and to align the lower end outlets of the holding cells to the charging means. Therefore, the time required for charging can be considerably shortened, so that the waiting time before the medications are supplied to patients can be further shortened, permitting improved service to be achieved.
Moreover, in a case where a plurality of types of medications are charged in succession, for example, the medications can be respectively accommodated in a plurality of holding cells; therefore, parallel processing can be smoothly performed. In particular, mixing of medications can be securely prevented as long as the positioning of the hoppers and the holding cells are accurately performed. This obviates the need for strictly controlling the clearance or the like between a drive component and a peripheral component thereof, allowing a simpler structure and reduced production cost to be achieved, as compared with a prior art.
In particular, in the present invention, the holding cells are constructed of the fixed cells and the movable cells installed so that they can move in the direction for opening the outlets in relation to the fixed cells, and the movable cells are moved in the direction for opening the outlets by the movable cell driving means when opening the shutters. Hence, even if medications are stacked and stuck in the holding cells, the stuck medications can be collapsed by moving the movable cells, thus permitting the medications to smoothly fall into the charging means. Thus, the time required for charging can be further shortened and a reliable charging operation can be realized.
In addition to the above, the present invention is characterized by the provision of a movable cell operation detecting means for detecting the operation of the movable cell. With this arrangement, if a problem arises in the movement of the movable cells due to a failure of the movable cell driving means or other member, then it will be possible to detect it, and to inhibit, for example, the operation of an apparatus or issue an alarm.
Furthermore, in addition to the above, the movable cell driving means in the present invention is disposed such that it disengageably engages the movable cell of the holding cell that matches the charging means, without interfering with the rotational movement of the holding cell.
With this arrangement, only a single movable cell driving means for moving the movable cells of a plurality of holding cells is required, permitting a marked reduction in the number of components, as compared with a case where each holding cell is provided with a driving means.
Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in a medication filling apparatus equipped with a plurality of tablet cases for accommodating medications of respective types, a plurality of hoppers provided side by side below the respective tablet cases in a corresponding manner to receive the medications dispensed therefrom, outlets respectively formed at the bottommost portions of the hoppers, a plurality of holding cells that are disposed below the hoppers and are rotationally moved on the circumferences where the outlets of the hoppers exist, shutters for opening and closing the lower end outlets of the holding cells, and charging means for guiding the medications dispensed from the holding cells to a predetermined container and for charging them, wherein, when a medication is dispensed from a tablet case, a holding cell is rotationally moved to adjust its position thereby to align the upper end inlet of the holding cell to the outlet of the hopper that receives the dispensed medication so as to accommodate the medication falling from the tablet case in a predetermined holding cell, and when filling a container, the holding cell is rotationally moved to align its outlet to the charging means before a shutter is opened; a holding unit is constructed by a holding cell and a shutter, and a plurality of the holding units are installed on a rotating plate that rotates below the hoppers.
According to the present invention, medications are dispensed from the tablet cases accommodating the medications of respective types, and the medications dispensed from the tablets cases are received by the plurality of hoppers arranged thereunder side by side. Hence, the vertical dimension of the apparatus can be reduced while maintaining the tilt angles of the hoppers that allow the medications to fall. Moreover, since the holding cell is rotationally moved to adjust its position thereby to align the upper end inlet of the holding cell to the outlet of the hopper that receives the dispensed medication. the medication fallen from a tablet case is temporarily accommodated in a predetermined holding cell. Then, to charge the medication in a container, the holding cell is rotationally moved to align its outlet to the charging means, and the shutter is opened. Hence, the medication in the holding cell is charged in the container by being guided to the container by the charging means from a lower end outlet.
Accordingly, it is possible to charge the medications specified among a plurality of types in respective containers by the charging means at a single location, leading to markedly improved workability. Furthermore, the operation has been realized in which the holding cells are rotationally moved to match their upper end inlets to the outlets of the hopper and to align the lower end outlets of the holding cells to the charging means. Therefore, the time required for charging can be considerably shortened, so that the waiting time before the medications are supplied to patients can be further shortened, permitting improved service to be achieved.
Moreover, in a case where a plurality of types of medications are charged in succession, for example the medications can be respectively accommodated in a plurality of holding cells; therefore, parallel processing can be smoothly performed. In particular, mixing of medications can be securely prevented as long as the positioning of the hoppers and the holding cells are accurately performed. This obviates the need for strictly controlling the clearance or the like between a drive component and a peripheral component thereof, allowing a simpler structure and reduced production cost to be achieved, as compared with a prior art.
According to the present invention, in particular, each of the holding units is constructed by a holding cell and a shutter, and a plurality of the holding units are installed on the rotating plate that rotates below the hoppers. This arrangement makes it possible to reduce the time and efforts for installing the holding cells or shutters, thereby achieving marked improvement in assemblability.
Furthermore, in addition to the above, the present invention is characterized in that the shutter driving means for opening and closing the shutters is disposed such that it does not interfere with the rotating motion of the holding units by the rotation of the rotating plate and that it detachably engages with the shutter of the holding unit whose holding cell matches the charging means.
With such an arrangement, only one shutter driving means is required for opening and closing the shutters of the plurality of holding units, making possible to significantly reduce the number of components. as compared with a case where the driving means is provided for each of the respective holding units.
Moreover, in addition to the above, the present invention is characterized by the provision of a shutter opening/closing detecting means for detecting the opening and closing of the shutters.
With such an arrangement, if an opening or closing failure of the shutters takes place due to a failure of the shutter driving means or other components, it is possible to detect the failure and, for example, to inhibit the operation of the apparatus or issue an alarm.